The present invention relates broadly to RF reception of game state data in a gaming hall environment. Specifically, the present invention relates to remote game devices that receive game state messages within a gaming hall. More specifically, the present invention relates to remote game devices that failover into manual mode upon detection of a weak signal or loss of signal.
Gaming halls have proliferated across the country and in many areas of the world, offering games such as bingo, keno, roulette, lotto, and other games where players share a common set of game state data. Computerized versions of these games have replaced traditional methods of play in many instances and provide players with remote gaming devices that allow game play at various locations inside a gaming hall. However, for games such as bingo, players that step away from the remote gaming device run the risk of missing a winning ball call and forfeiting the prize. Wireless gaming units reduce this problem to a certain degree, but reception problems are inherent to wireless environments and many gaming halls accommodate only limited transmission areas. Players using wireless systems still run the risk of forfeiting their prizes if they are momentarily in a bad reception area.
Existing gaming halls utilizing wireless environments do not adequately transmit game state data to the remote gaming devices. If a player moves into a bad reception area and back into a good reception area, the game state data that is typically broadcast is insufficient to allow a remote unit to recover any lost game state data and allow a player to continue in the game. Similarly, such game state data broadcasts are unable to allow remote units to catch up to a current game if a player enters the game anytime after its beginning.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for operating a remote game device to play a game in a gaming hall, the method comprising listening for game state messages broadcast from at least one transmitter located in a gaming hall; and transitioning from an automatic mode to a manual mode if a game state message having sufficient signal strength is not received from the transmitter.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for operating a remote game device to play a game in a gaming hall, the method comprising listening for game state messages broadcast from at least one transmitter located in a gaming hall; checking to see if a timeout occurred if a message having sufficient signal strength has not been received; and transitioning from an automatic mode to a manual mode if a game state message having sufficient signal strength is not received from the transmitter and a timeout has occurred.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for operating a remote game device to play a game in a gaming hall, the method comprising listening for game state messages broadcast from at least one transmitter located in a gaming hall; checking to see if a message having sufficient signal strength has been received; and transitioning from a manual mode to an automatic mode if a game state message having sufficient signal strength is received from the transmitter.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for operating a remote game device to play a game in a gaming hall, the method comprising listening for game state messages broadcast from at least one transmitter located in a gaming hall; if a message having sufficient signal strength has not been received: checking to see if a timeout has occurred; if a timeout has occurred, and the remote game device is in an automatic mode, transitioning the remote game device to a manual mode; and if a message having sufficient signal strength has been received: checking to see if the remote game device is in manual mode; transitioning the remote game device from manual mode to automatic mode.
The remote game device may notify the user of mode transition by either visual or aural indicia.
Game state messages in embodiments of the present invention contain comprehensive data sets that allow for complete game state data to be maintained on the remote game device. A variety of games can be played using the present invention, including bingo, keno, lotto, and roulette, or other games in which multiple players can share a common set of data. Numerous formats of game state data messages may be used for various games.